Amazing Mom Battles Seizures for Years Before Getting Help

Maggie Cannon began having seizures while she was pregnant with her first child. According toWOWT News, they lasted for years and years — until very recently. Difficult and terrifying, the episodes would "stop oxygen to the baby." With all the worries during pregnancy, Ms. Cannon added those that come with epilepsy — including the potential for a pre-term or low birth weight baby.

She, of course, contacted her doctor but subsequently went from doctor to doctor looking for help, all to no avail: Even though they kept giving her more medication, her problems continued for more than eight years! She finally heard about an epilepsy program at the Nebraska Medical Center and emailed them a plea for help. Doctors there suggested surgery, and after more than 100 episodes she was ready to try it. Her friends threw her a "brain bash" to turn fear of brain surgery into lighthearted fun for Cannon. Now, more than six months after two surgeries, she hasn't had a seizure — and she's loving the worry-free time with her beautiful daughters.

It's estimated that 0.2 to 0.7 percent of pregnant women have epilepsy — and, of course, stress can trigger episodes. Pregnancy itself probably counts as stress for most women! Aside from the risks mentioned above, and the risks that generally come with epilepsy, it would be hard to care for a newborn or child when something like that could happen at any time.

My father was in a bad accident when I was six, and he cared for my brother and me while our mother worked. He had petit mal seizures, and he would just "check out" of his body; when he got back, he wouldn't remember where he was going or what he was doing. It happened once when he was taking me to an appointment with the pediatrician, and he had to stop and call my mother at work to get directions to a place he'd been a number of times!

I can't imagine the stress Cannon must have gone through dealing with epilepsy while pregnant and having young children — it's very scary. I'm very happy for her that she got treatment that worked, and wish her the best of luck!

Have you had a frightening illness or injury while pregnant or with a newborn? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Christina Seronello

Christina Seronello is a mother of two sweet little ones, as well as a birth doula and childbirth educator in the DC Metro area. In addition to her job, she loves travel, writing, hiking, and exploring new playgrounds with her family. Her work has appeared in various blogs and in From the Heart: A Collection of Stories and Poems from the Front Lines of Parenting.

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